“Thank you. I have to be organized. But I meant your idea for a conference center set against what I have here. Do you think it’ll work?”
“Yeah, I do. Do you have a paper plan of the farm anywhere?”
“Sure in the office. But there’s a bigger table in the kitchen, so we’ll look at it in there.”
She tucked her hair behind her ears, the wind immediately tugging it free again. “Is your office that untidy?”
He took the teasing in good stead. “Yeah, or as I prefer, no one understands my system. Seriously, I just have so much on the desk, there’s nowhere to spread the plans. Shall we?”
She relaxed in the saddle as the horses began walking. “I spoke to my brother about the will. He’s going to come and stay for the weekend. Maybe you could come over to my place on Saturday, bring the original will and the new one if you can get hold of it. I know you said you’ve never seen it. He’ll take a look at them.”
“I know where it’s filed. Thank you. Thing is, I can’t afford—”
“I know. He does, too. The way he phrased it was he’s coming to visit me and if you were around, the conversation could go anywhere. Come over in the afternoon and stay for dinner.”
His gaze held hers. “Is that an invitation?”
She swallowed. She’d just invited a man back for dinner. Was it safe? Yes. Besides, Gareth would be there. “Yeah, it is. I’m making lamb hotpot. It’s his favourite.”
Aaron’s smile broadened, lighting his eyes. “Mine too, but I can’t make it to save my life. I’d love to come. Thank you.”
“I’ll give you my address when we get back to the car. Unless you’ve got some paper in the farmhouse I could write it on.”
“Just a little bit.”
Her cheeks warmed as he gazed at her. “You know what I meant.”
Aaron chuckled. “I know. I couldn’t resist teasing you. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. I should be used to it with my brothers doing it all the time.” Yes, she should, but they didn’t make her feel like this. Confused and discombobulated.
As they rode into the farmyard and dismounted, a farmhand came and took the horses. Meggie waited while Aaron vanished into the office. A ginger cat looked at her from the top of the barn, and a duck wandered slowly across to the pond. Sheep dotted the top fields and cows lowed from one of the barns. She could imagine the kids coming out here, helping, having fun. Maybe riding the horses, seeing the pigs and feeding the hens.
So different to Da’s farm, but she felt at home.
Aaron came back into the fading sunshine and smiled at her. He led her to the farmhouse and opened the door. All looked cozy and warm and welcoming as he stepped aside to let her precede him.
She crossed the threshold and a thick, choking blackness descended over her, as if the sun had gone out and heavy oppressive storm clouds arrived from nowhere. The air was alive with static electricity, and the hair on the back of her neck rose. Her skin prickled.
She glanced at Aaron for an explanation, or even confirmation—something to prove she wasn’t imagining the oppression that seemed to squeeze the life from her, but he seemed impervious to the dreadful atmosphere as he crossed the room and spread the plans over the vast kitchen table.
Couldn’t he feel it? It was suffocating her, pressing her down. Surely she wasn’t imagining it?
He glanced at her and smiled as he weighted down the plans with jars of homemade mustard and pickles along with odd shaped salt and pepper pots. Her gaze fixed on the set, and a wash of dread doused her again.
She realized Aaron was looking at her expectantly. He had spoken, but she had no idea what he had said. She pointed to the salt and pepper pots. “Sorry, I was miles away—
admiring
your condiment set,” she covered quickly. “I’ve never seen anything like them before.”
“Tanis bought them on one of her trips abroad. To be honest, I’ve never liked them.”
Meggie picked up the salt cellar and looked at it closely. “It looks like a demon with its pointed ears, pointy eyebrows, red eyes, claws, and wings.” She shivered. Putting it down, she picked up the pepper pot. “The eyes follow you. Gives me the creeps.” She put it down and turned them all to face the other way. “So, what were you saying?”
“I was talking about the layout of the farm. This field, although currently in use for crops, runs along the main road for easy access. And it should be easy enough to connect to water mains, electricity and so on.”
Meggie nodded. “Initially, Da had caravan bathrooms on site.”
“What about planning permission?”
“Probably as its change of usage, and for the buildings themselves, you’d need to apply to the council, but I wouldn’t imagine it’d be a problem. You have catering facilities in the barns already.”
Aaron rubbed a hand over his brow, shoving back his hair. “Yeah. And it’s not been unheard of for the odd backpacker to stay overnight in the past. Dad even had a group of Travelers stay for a week once in particularly bad weather.”
“Really? Da’s never allowed them to camp on his land.”
He smiled. “Actually, as far as Travelers go, they were a pretty good bunch. Cleared up after themselves and didn’t make a mess.”
“Cool. So, you could have catering in the barn and get people to bring their own tents and put them in the field here by the barn and toilet block.”
He looked at the plans and nodded. “Sounds good.”
“I’m sure Pastor Jack would go for the kids’ church group camping here one weekend. They could help with the animals, maybe. Or pony trekking. Or even a day trip with the little ones.”
He looked at her, his eyes lighting up. “Your enthusiasm is catching. You’re really getting into this idea.”
Impulsively, she grabbed his hand. Shards of warmth shot through her. “Aaron, these are town kids. They probably think milk comes from a supermarket and that a cow is just a picture in an alphabet book. How about I organize a trip with the Sunday School kids to start off with? A couple of hours on a Saturday afternoon? Feed the pigs, see the cows, and maybe they could have a ride in a trailer attached to your tractor?”
“Sure.”
“OK. I’ll speak to Pastor Jack and sort something out.”
The phone rang in the hall. Aaron sighed. “I’ll be right back.” He headed out to answer it, pulling the door behind him.
Left to her own devices, Meggie glanced around the kitchen. A huge AGA stood against one wall. A wooden dresser with plates and cups stood along another. An open fireplace had a fire crackling in it. A mirror hung over the hearth. Her gaze moved over the mirror quickly, then back as she saw something sparkle. Moving over to the hearth, she picked up an ornament from the mantle. A dragon held a crystal tightly in its claws; the crystal was warm to the touch.
Prickles of apprehension ran down her spine. Was someone watching her? She glanced at the mirror above the kitchen fireplace. A pair of eyes, almost crimson in color, stared back at her. A sharp smirk, showing spiky yellow teeth, glinted from the dark face, pointed ears peeking from beneath a cowl. She spun around, but there was no one there. Cautiously, she turned back to the mirror. Nothing. She sucked in a deep breath and put the dragon down quickly.
Lord, I’m letting all this get to me. And now I’m seeing things, but there is an overwhelming sense of something here. Something I can’t put my finger on. But there is something going on here. Protect us from whatever it is.
“Miss Knight.” The voice made her jump. “How nice to see you again.”
Meggie turned. “Mrs. Field. Nice to see you, too.” She forced a smile as the sense of evil and foreboding in the room increased tenfold and filled the confined space. “How are you?”
“Fine.” Tanis focused on the plans, a pointed red fingernail tapping them. Ash dropped from the cigarette on to the table. “What’s this doing out?”
“Aaron was showing me the farm.”
“Why’s that?”
Dark eyes pierced her, pinning her to the spot. Meggie fought the compulsion to tell Tanis everything she was thinking. It was as if the woman could see into her mind and knew her every thought, even those as yet unformed.
God, help me…
“Miss Knight has experience in farming. She was giving me some advice on expansion.” Aaron’s voice cut through the choking blackness like a flash of light. His hand rested briefly on Meggie’s shoulder, an assurance he was there, before he moved his hand to brush the ash off the table. “And I have asked you repeatedly
not
to smoke in the house.”
Tanis glowered. “Expansion? Not without my say so.”
“Until the codicil comes into effect, the farm is mine, and I say what goes and what doesn’t.” He looked at Meggie. “I’ll walk you to your car.”
With his firm hand on her back, he guided her out of the door before she could offer a farewell to his stepmother. Creeped out or not, Meggie had been raised to be polite. “I really ought to say goodbye to Mrs. Field,” she objected.
“No, you really shouldn’t.”
“Why ever not? Aaron, I can’t just leave.”
“Yes, you can. Trust me.”
Meggie glanced over her shoulder at the house. A tall figure in one of the upstairs windows stood still and then moved away—Aaron’s stepmother maybe? No, a glance confirmed Tanis was in the doorway. There must be someone else in the house. Meggie shook her head and turned back at the car. Unlocking it, she opened the door and climbed in.
Aaron leaned one arm on the roof and peered in to talk to her. “Thanks for the help and the ideas.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll talk to Pastor Jack and get back to you tomorrow at some point.” She paused. “If you’d like.”
“Yes, I would. Thank you. I’ll look forward to your call.” He winked. “And dinner on Saturday.”
Meggie smiled as he shut the door. The sun was almost completely set, so she flicked on the headlights as she started the engine, and waved as she pulled away.
Lord, that house resonates pure evil. I don’t want to believe it’s either of them, but there is something there, and Aaron seems impervious to it. Protect him. The kids would enjoy the farm I know, but now I wonder, would bringing them here be a good idea? What should I do?
The radio played as she drove down the road in the deepening gloom. The signal crackled and faded a few times. Sighing, she shoved in a CD instead. Hymns filled the car, and she hummed along, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel as she traveled the dark country lanes. The only light came from the beams of the headlights.
As she rounded a curve, eyes glared at her from the center of the road. Her heart pounded hard. Her breath caught. She slammed her foot on the brakes. The car stalled, and she gripped the steering wheel tightly, her breath now coming in gasps. A fox looked unblinking at her, its yellow-green eyes reflecting the light back at her for a moment, before it dashed off into the field.
Meggie closed her eyes, trying to get her shattered nerves under control. “Just a fox,” she told herself. Taking a deep breath, she restarted the engine. Cold shivered through her, and she turned up the heat and checked the rearview mirror as she released the handbrake.
Two slanted red eyes glowered at her from the back seat. Claws reached for her. Meggie screamed, her foot pushing the accelerator to the floor as a stale, dank odor filled the car.
God…help me…
The car jerked forwards and shot off the road into the ditch. The impact slammed her into the steering wheel. The horn blared in her ear as everything went dark.
5
They cried to you and and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed. Psalm 22:5
Meggie pushed back slowly. Her chest hurt from the impact with the steering wheel. Something wet trickled down her face. Wiping a hand across her eyes, she discovered blood coating her fingers. A sulfurous stench filled the car. Red eyes reflected in every mirror, and something brushed against her face, snagging her hair.
She screamed, fumbling for the seat belt, then the door handle. Stumbling from the car, she scrambled away, feet slipping in the mud on the edges of the ditch. “Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven…”
Her hair tangled in a low hanging tree branch and she cried out. Panicked fingers tried to yank it loose. “Deliver us from evil…”
Her mobile rang, and she pulled it from her pocket. She didn’t check the screen before she answered, the other hand still trying to free her hair. “H—hello…”
“Meggie, its Pastor Jack. Is everything OK?”
“Pastor?” She hadn’t expected him to call. Had she forgotten a meeting? She wrenched her hair free, tears filling her eyes as some of the strands ripped loose.
“You didn’t turn up for kid’s club, and Aaron said you left the farm over an hour ago.”
Something howled behind her, and she jumped. “I—I crashed the car…”
How far away was the farm? Caught between a rock and a hard place, neither the car nor the farm would be safe, but maybe Aaron could pull the car out of the ditch.
“Are you hurt?”
Her feet slipped on the muddy verge, and she dropped the phone. It slithered into the ditch, vanishing into the darkness. Her fingers scrabbled for it for a moment, before she set off running, fearing the very hounds of hell were chasing her.
“Our Father— Who art in heaven— Hallowed— be Thy— name…” Pain filled her chest. Bright lights came from up ahead and she flung a hand over her eyes to shield them. Trying to dodge it, she ran into something hard and unyielding.
Something grabbed hold of her.
She screamed.
****
“Meggie.”
Aaron gawped at the distraught woman in front of him, holding her tightly as she fought to get away. Tanis would tell him to slap her to calm her down, but he had never raised his hand to a woman, and wasn’t about to start now. Besides, judging from the blood trickling down her face, she’d already banged her head on something. He’d left the farm to search for her as soon as Jack said she hadn’t arrived back in Headley Cross.
“Meggie…it’s OK. Calm down.”